Conservation Refugium Value of a Large Mesa for Grasshoppers in South Africa

摘要: A 3-year study was undertaken on and around a prominent South African mesa to determine its role for grasshoppers in sea of grazed flatlands. The number grasshopper species individuals the summit, slopes flatlands varied significantly relation measured environmental variables. through inaccessibility livestock grazing, effectively conservation refugium one highly responsive species, Orthochtha dasycnemis. There no significant difference richness between years sampling, although there were variations abundance years. rainfall appeared be key factor influencing population dynamics. This clearly shows that can act as island supporting an insect assemblage would otherwise altered by heavy grazing surrounding summit strongly linked with those slopes, is determined low intensity associated soil vegetation structure.